A mania to collect personal data!

A mandarin responsible for the task of developing agriculture is said to be taking a keener interest in placing on record  even the unnecessary personal particulars of the employees of his establishment than in his onerous official duties, they say.

The employees are surprised that this mandarin occupying the main chair of an important establishment in the Western Province thanks to political influence, insists that even particulars relating to the parents of the subordinates be computerized.

The employees who say that they could understand the need to place on record such personal particulars as are necessary for official purposes like preparing pension applications, resent the effort to collect even the personal data relating to their parents. The mandarin threatens to take disciplinary action against the employees who fail to readily provide all personal data called for, they say.